plate no. 6683
Elizabeth Sykes, Mrs Wilbraham Egerton
John Simpson, 1805
some experience helpful
Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including capturing likeness and rendering realistic skin tones, as well as practicing blending and creating soft transitions.
technical profile
palette complexity
3
brushwork visibility
3
value contrast
4
compositional simplicity
3
study guide
est. 20 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Create a preliminary sketch outlining the figure's pose and proportions.
- step 02
Block in the background with broad strokes, focusing on the overall values.
- step 03
Establish the main shapes of the figure, starting with the dress and then the face.
- step 04
Begin layering skin tones, paying attention to highlights and shadows.
- step 05
Refine the details of the face, including the eyes, nose, and mouth.
- step 06
Add details to the dress, jewelry, and flowers.
- step 07
Adjust the background and foreground to create depth and atmosphere.
- step 08
Add final highlights and shadows to enhance the overall realism.
color palette
primary · ivory black · titanium white · cadmium red light · yellow ochre
secondary · ultramarine blue · burnt umber · cadmium yellow
Mix skin tones using white, red, yellow ochre, and a touch of blue or umber for shadows. Achieve the black dress by mixing ivory black with a touch of ultramarine or burnt umber for depth.
techniques
- ·portraiture
- ·blending
- ·glazing
- ·chiaroscuro
- ·layering
common pitfalls
- →Getting the proportions wrong in the initial sketch.
- →Overworking the skin tones and creating a muddy effect.
- →Failing to capture the likeness of the subject.
- →Ignoring the subtle variations in color and value.
materials
surface · stretched canvas
required
- ·stretched canvas 18x24
- ·ivory black oil paint
- ·titanium white oil paint
- ·cadmium red light oil paint
- ·yellow ochre oil paint
- ·round brushes (sizes 2, 4, 6)
- ·flat brushes (sizes 4, 8)
- ·linseed oil
optional
- ·palette knife
- ·retouch varnish
- ·medium
Use high-quality oil paints for best results. Consider using a medium to improve the flow and blending of the paints.
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